Who Do You Think You Are!
by separate-sisters
Summary: Hermione loves Ron, so when he and Harry are hurt in a battle bt 6th and 7th year, she goes after the man that triggered everything Snape. What happens at Snape Manor will change everything.
1. The Trip to Snape Manor

**Who Do You Think You Are?!**

**disclaimer: no, neither ladykyo nor the separatesisters own Harry Potter, or the characters therein. We'd like to , but we don't. Feel free to give them to us if you like, though.**

**Chapter 1: The Trip to Snape Manor**

Hermione Granger was past furious. Her beloved headmaster was dead, her parents had been taken into protective custody by the Order, and her best friends were lying in hospital, recovering from injuries sustained in a major battle at the beginning of the summer. She was supposed to be getting ready to begin her final year at Hogwart's School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, as Head Girl alongside Ron as Head Boy.

Instead, Hermione was on a fly-by-night top secret mission that was supposed to have gone to a senior member of the Order. Actually, Hermione's original mission was to deliver a missive from Nymphadora Tonks to Sirius Black, newly back from Beyond the Vale. Not even owls were entrusted with these messages, and Tonks had been counting on Hermione to do the Hermione-thing: deliver, no questions asked, and without looking at the note herself. The note had been delivered to Hermione at St. Mungo's, where she was attending to Ron and Harry, and Hermione had been all set to do just that, but as she left the hospital room where Harry and Ron were laid out with various casts, something snapped.

Hermione kissed each young man before she slipped her cloak around her shoulders. She tightened the laces at her throat as she read the letter:

To Cerberus:

You have full and utter authority to use whatever means necessary to take down Viper and avenge the Man in the Moon. The Quiet One knows nothing of the contents of this letter, lest she warn the King and the Power. The Tiger will take care of the rest.

Signed,

Shifter

Hermione growled low in her throat as she read and re-read the note. She made a decision right there, grabbing Harry's invisibility cloak and slipping it into her bag. She trotted over to the door, and before she left she turned on her heel and ran back to Ron's side.

"Ron, I love you. Please know that, no matter what I may have to do," Hermione cried as she kissed him passionately. Even though he was heavily sedated, Hermione could feel him start. She kissed him one last time and left.

Hermione kept her cool as she made her way out of St. Mungo's. She was polite to the nurses, making her excuses and whatnot. Better than arousing suspicion, because they all recognized her, as she had been at the hospital everyday since Ron and Harry had been admitted at the beginning of the summer. Both men were being kept in medicated comas because they would undoubtedly try to get out of bed and join the fight again if they were conscious.

Hermione could think only of her lover and best friend as she made her way through the hospital grounds, searching for where she'd stashed her broom. She had been the one to make the decision to put Ron and Harry into the comas; Arthur Weasley was still not quite stable, and Molly couldn't make the decision. Hermione had made it for her, and Ginny was still angry with Hermione for it. Ginny was at the hospital even more than Hermione, keeping vigil over Harry's still form. The healers said that the men would be well in plenty of time for the coming school year, but Hermione still fretted.

Hermione found the broom and grimaced. She still hated to fly, even after six years of practice. She flew quite well, yet being up in the air with nothing more than a stick with more sticks sticking out of it unnerved her.

Hermione spoke to herself as she kicked off and headed for the nearest wizarding village.

"Viper must mean Snape, and Man in the Moon must mean Dumbledore. Sirius is obviously Cerberus. But the Quiet One, the King, and the Power?" Hermione wondered as she climbed through the air, pushing her hair back from her face. "I'll have to do something about that."

Hermione flew for about an hour before she landed. She stashed her broom in a slightly more accessible place before she flicked her wand over the top of her head to change her appearance slightly. She reached in her bag and grabbed a quill and some bound parchment before she headed into town.

"And now not even Rita Skeeter would know me from any other journalist to be," Hermione laughed to herself, entering the town. She had perched small glasses on the end of her nose, changed her eye color and hair color, and pulled her still-wavy yet deep-navy locks back in a clip. "Although, the blue hair . . ."

Hermione made her way into the town, her head held high in confidence that she wouldn't be recognized. Besides, Ron and Harry had always been more recognizable, Ron with his infamous Weasley-red hair and Harry with the Potter-black waves and scar; Hermione had always been the somewhat plain best friend who was supposed to stay on the sidelines, quietly researching. . .

"Fuck! Tonks thinks I'm the 'Quiet One'!" Hermione screeched, then slapped her hand over her mouth. She composed herself and entered the nearest tavern, The Slimy Frog. "Lovely," Hermione groused under her breath as she entered and got a butterbeer from the handsome barkeep.

"What's a lovely little miss like you doing out in Little Wormstead?" the barkeep asked, his eyes roving over her body salaciously. Hermione swallowed the vomit she felt rising in the back of her throat.

"I'm looking for Snape Manor, and someone told me the best way to get there is to ask about it here in Little Wormstead," Hermione said, hoping he would take her hesitation as her being a coquette, not utterly disgusted by his overwhelming nearness and assumption.

"Well, I'll tell you, but it is a ways outside of town, and a wee little reporter shouldn't go out there by herself. Why don't you wait and I'll go with you?" the barkeep leaned forward, and Hermione caught a whiff of his awful breath and his teeth, which were rotting out of his head.

'Ugh,' Hermione thought to herself. She was the child of dentists, after all, so the sight of such awful teeth was particularly sickening for her.

Hermione was desperate to buy herself time. People were beginning to get interested in the discussion, so she took a shot. "But you haven't even told me your name."

"Mackus, Mac for short. And yours?"

"Belladonna," Hermione said, hoping he'd get a hint from the name of the deadly plant. "And nothing for short. So, where is this place? And I don't need a protector, certainly not one without a solid tooth in his head."

Mac reared back from Hermione and she braced herself carefully for the punch she was sure was coming. "Fine, ya lil' bitch. Head east out of town and go through the forest about three kilometers. Ya can't miss the place. It's a bloody eyesore."

Hermione smiled a saccharine sweet smile at the noisome man. "Thank you kindly. Tata!"

She turned on her heel and fled the tavern and town, letting her disguise fade along the way, so no-one would be able to identify her or her alter ego. She headed south first, exiting the town and grabbing her broom from the underbrush where she'd hidden it and circling around the town to the eastern side, cutting into the woods as Mac had said. She didn't dare try to kick off and fly on the off chance that Snape Manor could only be accessed on foot or was invisible from the air. Besides it was only three kilometers, and Hermione didn't want to show up for vengeance with a sick stomach.

It was taking Hermione longer to get through the forest than she thought, and it wasn't as if she'd left early in the morning. It was pulling up on seven o'clock, and the sun was receding while the forest seemed to encroach on her every step. Hermione whispered to her wand and was granted light, but every step was in a darker forest she'd never been in before. She estimated that she only had about a quarter kilometer to go when she heard something snap behind her.

Hermione raised her wand higher, focusing on it to make it shine brighter and farther. She moved it slowly to get the best view of the area, but it was no use. She whispered to her wand again and it went out. She decided to make the rest of her trip by the moonlight filtering through the thick canopy of trees overhead.

Which was probably the worst decision she could have made. She heard more noise behind her, and she started to trot, then run in the direction she'd been heading, hoping she'd reach the clearing the Manor would be in so she could fight on level ground. She pocketed her wand and secured her cloaks, readying for hand-to-hand combat as she had trained with other members of the Order. Tonks and Shacklebolt had been adamant about everyone learning to defend themselves should something happen to their wands.

Hermione saw the end of the forest about fifty yards in front of her when she was overtaken by her pursuer. She kicked and screamed and bit, trying to stop him. She tried to breathe, but a hand went over her mouth. She inhaled through her nose and recognized the stench: Mac.

"Now, Bell, dear, you should have told me you were Severus's little pet. I would have gladly delivered you. In pieces after I had my fun. After all these years, women still prefer the bastard. D'you know he's not even a pureblood?" Mac hissed in Hermione's ear as he groped her through her cloaks and muggle streetclothes.

"Of course, I know, you dolt! I attend Hogwart's, same as every other underage wizard and witch in the Isles," Hermione gritted as Mac removed his hand for a moment. Hermione's arms were stuck to her waist in Mac's sickening embrace, and Hermione was praying to some higher power to save her.

"Well, well, well, he shouldn't have gotten involved with a student, should he have? Now, we're going to have some fun, and then I'll leave Severus a not-so-neat little present. Shall we?" Mac said, turning Hermione around so abruptly she fell on her arse.

'damn, this is like a bad movie,' Hermione thought to herself, trying to push herself off the ground. Mac was upon her, and Hermione couldn't find the strength to save herself. She got angrier and angrier, but between not being able to reach her wand and Mac's rather substantial weight, she was quickly running out of options.

Mac swatted Hermione legs when she tried to kick him, and managed to pin her legs. He grabbed her breast and pinched, twisting as he pulled on her. Hermione bit her lip before she cried out. He laughed and smacked her across her face. Hermione lifted her head up, and Mac hit her again, and her head smashed into the ground. She screamed and screamed, hoping anyone would come, or perhaps she could jolt Mac off of her.

Mac pulled Hermione's robes open, laying her muggle clothes to his view.

"You're a muggle bitch?!" Mac roared, punching Hermione. This time, she didn't even try to raise her head. She screamed once more, then settled for crying.

Mac reached for the snap and fly on her jeans, and the last thing Hermione saw before she finally passed out was a curtain of black hair and a pale hand snaking out and around Mac's neck.


	2. At Snape Manor

**Who Do You Think You Are?!**

**disclaimer: no, neither ladykyo nor the separatesisters own Harry Potter, or the characters therein. We'd like to , but we don't. Feel free to give them to us if you like, though.**

**Chapter 2: At Snape Manor**

Hermione woke to a cool cloth on her forehead and warm blankets tucked in around her in a room she didn't recognize with a fire she fervently appreciated. She tried to stretch, and found that she was rather sore. Her head began to hurt, and Hermione felt it carefully, finding an egg-sized lump on her forehead, and tenderness around both eyes. She could feel scratches on her back, face and arms, and she wondered what she looked like.

"You look rather like a Raggedy Anne doll that has been through a meat grinder. Twice," a low raspy voice said.

"Who's there?" Hermione said, trying to sit up. "Aah!" she fell back on her pillows and lay there throbbing and crying.

"Hermione!" the voice and its body ran in, and Hermione opened her eyes to find her former potions master standing over her.

"You! You bloody bastard! You saved me?!" Hermione screeched, trying to scramble backwards and away from the thin man advancing on her.

"Miss Granger, will you kindly keep still? I am trying to save your life and limbs, so stop squirming and wait to try the Killing Curse until you're well," Snape hissed. Leaning over Hermione and removing the cool cloth and the poultices Hermione hadn't even noticed. "You should have never come here, and to top that off you asked Mac for directions."

"Get off of me! I don't know what the hell you think you're doing, but get away from me. I'm not here for a social visit," Hermione growled, getting up on her knees and reaching for her wand, which would have been in her back pocket, had her jeans been whole and on her body. "Where the bloody hell are my pants?"

"You have picked up much too much from Sirs Weasley and Potter, Miss Granger. Your language is not improved by it," Snape said as he reached past Hermione for something.

"Back off," Hermione said, tucking her blankets in closer, cringing back from the man she'd admired and feared for so long. "And what do you know about what I picked up from my best friends. You were always too busy punishing us for imagined slights to take any interest in our talents."

"No, Hermione, I always saw your talents. But your personality got in the way," Snape said as he presented Hermione with a bundle of scarlet something or other. "Your clothes were, shall we say, destroyed in Mac's assault. Had I not arrived, you surely would have been robbed of your virtue, and what would Mr. Weasley say to that? You should b so lucky that I arrived in the nick of time."

"Oh yes, saved from one molester by another. Wonderful. Am I to be 'robbed of my virtue' by you, now?" Hermione spat out, gathering the robes to her chest to cover her tattered shirt. She hadn't noticed anything when she woke, but with the intimidating man sitting next to her, taking care of her and checking on her was making her nervous.

Snape stiffened at her accusation and he rose from the couch, his professorial veneer back. "Miss Granger, you have nothing to worry about when it comes to your virtue and me. I can promise you now that come hell or high water, I will not touch you," Snape said coldly as he trotted out of the room.

"Put the damn robes on and come down to the small kitchen for something to eat. You never should have come – we are in the middle of a freak flood, and you are stuck her until the storms stop and the water recedes."

"It is Ms. Granger to you, Severus!"

Hermione had thrown that last parting shot to her former teacher before she had thought about it. Surely she didn't have to address him as she had when she'd been his student, but referring to herself as a Ms., not 'Miss' must have imparted the fact that she was no snow-white Madonna. The look on Snape's face as he left told her that he understood what she had meant: she was a woman, and someone else's woman to boot.

Hermione took a breath and threw the blankets off, rising gingerly from the couch and examining the damage. Her legs were bruised near her hips, but other than those, her legs were fine.

'Not like anyone will ever see them again,' Hermione thought to herself. 'He'll never let me leave alive.'

She carefully removed her sweater and t-shirt, wincing at the movements. When she stood in her bra and panties, Hermione strode over to a dusty mirror to examine the rest of the damage. Her arms were crisscrossed with small scratches and bruises while her face was a complete mess: the egg-sized lump, two black eyes, and split lip completed her visage.

Hermione sighed and pulled the robes on, thankful for their warmth and coverage. She fastened the dress over her slim form and pulled the actual robes over her shoulders with care to her injuries. The scarlet dress pulled across her chest and the empire waist combined with the daring vee of the bodice emphasized her curves. The over-robes added shadow which visually slimmed her waist and enhanced her bust. The robes trailed on the floor and Hermione looked for but found no shoes. The floor was chilled, but Hermione sucked it up and made her way to the small kitchen, would in happier times would have been used to feed the family on nights there were no visitors.

Hermione padded into the kitchen and saw Snape conversing with a house-elf that was listening in rapt attention. Hermione cleared her throat and Snape dismissed the servant and turned his attention to his former student. He froze for a moment while he took in the picture of Hermione in the exquisite dress robes. It was only for a moment, but Hermione caught it.

"Good, Granger. Are you hungry?" Snape said as he moved around the kitchen, almost as if he were quite used to it.

"Yes, I am. But I think I'll fix something for myself," Hermione said, moving past him and reaching into a random cupboard. "Don't want to be poisoned, do I?"

Snape slammed the cupboard door shut and leaned down to whisper in Hermione's ear. "Are you always so quick to assume the worst of others, Miss Granger? You are basing your opinion on what Harry Potter thought he saw that night."

Hermione stood stock-still as Snape breathed on her and she wondered if the end had already come for her. "I am judging you are what I've known of you for the past six years, Severus. And what Harry saw the night Dumbledore died. You've never given me anything else to go on."

Snape inhaled quickly and pulled back from her ear. "Perhaps you have learned something after all these years. But you still bait me, don't you?"

Hermione turned to face him fully, and she didn't like what she saw in his face. "I've never baited you, not outright. If you recall, I don't need to resort to anything like that – I am more than intelligent enough to get by on my own. What would you like to accuse me of next, Severus?"

Severus hissed and stepped towards her, "You disrespect me, child. If you were to disrespect a servant of Voldemort, it would be death."

"Then I guess I know what curse I have to shield myself from," Hermione said, sticking her face in his, growling like a tigress. She pulled her head back and circled her former teachers, growling still and prowling like a jungle cat. "Go ahead, if you think you, a washed-out ex-teacher and fugitive, can muster up a curse to fell the brightest witch of the age."

"Why bother? When the boys die, you follow soon after. You never were strong without them. What good is knowledge if you're too afraid to use it?"

Hermione roared and slapped him across the face, before she ran out of the kitchen, angry at him, angry at herself, and wondering if he was right.

AN: Here it goes. From here on out, the story is basically writing itself. I'd like to get 3 reviews before I post the next chapter. 3 more reviews isn't too much to ask for, is it?

Brenna


	3. The Aftermath in the Kitchen

**Who Do You Think You Are?!**

**disclaimer: no, neither ladykyo nor the separatesisters own Harry Potter, or the characters therein. We'd like to , but we don't. Feel free to give them to us if you like, though.**

**Okay, you guys all really came through! 8 reviews on lil'ol'Ch 2 alone! That makes me feel so happy that you guys get this chapter immediately. So, as promised, this is chapter 3, with a wee bit of a cliffhanger.**

**So, for Ch. 4, I want. . . 5 reviews before I post. Let's get those numbers up there, okay? Post on any chapter, because I'll be able to see that 5 more reviews have come up (I have 15 total on the story right now). Thanks, and I'll see you on the review page.**

**Brenna of the separatesisters**

**Chapter 3: The Aftermath in the Kitchen**

Severus Snape had never in his life ever been slapped by a student, past, present, or future, so Hermione's actions had been a complete and total surprise to him. Severus didn't even watch her as she stormed out, but he knew what she'd be doing: she'd find a room that she thought he would never check, begin pacing and chewing her hair as she thought of her options and escape plan, and then she'd lay a rather intelligent trap to buy herself time. Snape smirked to himself, the same smirk that all Slytherins had, as he gave her time to cool off. He knew her well, and she knew it. But he didn't think she'd take it into consideration.

Hermione Granger had never slapped a teacher before, past, present, or future, and after she ran out of the kitchen, she raced through the halls searching for a place to think about her situation. At the end of a hallway that was dimmer than the others, Hermione saw a door that was partially open. She forced her steps to lighten and slow, and she made her way towards a room she just knew Severus would never even look for her in.

As Hermione entered the room, she groped for her wand and upon finding it in one of the dress robe's many pockets, she pulled it out and flicked it.

"Lumos," Hermione whispered to her wand, and a soft glow infused it. Hermione held her wand up high so she could see the furnishings in the room. Everything astounded her.

A massive four-poster bed took over the majority of the room. A gold silken canopy draped from the top of the posts down, creating an intimate little tent. She turned to the large window, which was dusty without care, but a few fingerprints lingered; the sill was wide and had an old cushion on it, and whoever had liked to sit there must have done it a lot, for the cushion was somewhat worn and had a dip in the middle, where someone must have sat for long lengths of time. A few lamps were scattered across the room, unlit but eerily beautiful without the light. On the other side of the room, across from the window, a bookshelf groaned with full shelves. A closet and an armoire were both closed, and Hermione knew nothing of the occupant of the room, save that it must have belonged to someone who enjoyed being in it. Hermione was going to leave and find another room, but she decided that this was the room that Snape would never check.

Hermione shut the door and went to a few of the lamps, lighting them so she wouldn't trip in the dark but not lighting so many that Snape would be able to use them to find her. Hermione was suddenly tired, but she shook her head to clear her thoughts and taking a nap on that bed would not have the desired affect. Hermione opened the window just a crack to let in some cooler air and she began her pacing.

"Alright, what do I know about the situation, " Hermione said as she paced. She wasn't chewing on her hair, but she knew that would come. "I am for some reason stuck here at Snape Manor."

Hermione went back to the window and corrected herself. "Alright, not 'some' reason, but the reality that this is England and as such thanks to the bloody weather everything is flooded and it is too dangerous to fly out on a broom. Even if I had the bloody thing here. Damn. I really should have learned to Apparate with Ron and Harry, underage or not."

As Hermione continued to pace and consider the situation, the stray lock of hair found its way into her mouth and soon Hermione was gnawing on it full tilt as her mind worked overtime.

"No-one knows where I am, I don't know if can even make an Unforgivable Curse work, and Severus knows that. Harry and Ron are in comas, and Ginny is angry. And Sirius has know idea what's going on, while Tonks thinks that Sirius is the one in the bloody god-forsaken forest," Hermione said, beginning to gasp for air as panic was finally setting in. She refused to cry she was too angry with herself and the situation to cry, but she was angry enough to want to kick things. She reared back and kicked the leg of the big four-poster, which was a bloody bad idea, as she was wearing barely more than slippers, and the bed was made from solid hardwood.

"And now my foot hurts," Hermione wailed, forgetting that she didn't want to be found, and her resolution not to cry. Tears of pain rolled down her cheeks, and Hermione sat down on the bed as tears of self-pity and loathing joined them. "I'm tired, my foot hurts, and I'm alone with the man of my nightmares," Hermione said, falling back onto the pillows, which were not, unlike everything else in the room, covered in dust.

Before long, Hermione had fallen asleep, all thoughts of escape and vengeance gone in a slumber born of true exhaustion. Hermione slept so deeply she didn't even hear the footsteps that signaled the arrival of one of the last people she ever wanted to see again.


	4. In the Beautiful Old Room

**Who Do You Think You Are?!**

**disclaimer: no, neither ladykyo nor the separatesisters own Harry Potter, or the characters therein. We'd like to , but we don't. Feel free to give them to us if you like, though.**

**Alright, I know that the review system can be a little glitchy (I've had problems reviewing as well), and I really appreciate that you guys (especially Miss Roxton) are taking the time to review. So, to sweeten the pot, if you review and include in the review not only your message but whether or not you have stories (and what name they are under), I will hop on over and check out your stories and review you too!**

**Back to business . . .**

**So, for Ch. 5, I want. . . 7 reviews before I post. Let's get those numbers up there, okay? Post on any chapter, because I'll be able to see that 7 more reviews have come up (I have 21 total on the story right now). Thanks, and I'll see you on the review page.**

**Brenna of the separatesisters**

**Chapter 4: In the Beautiful Old Room. . .**

"Oh, for Merlin's sake, get out of that bloody bed, Granger," Draco Malfoy's voice woke Hermione abruptly and she groaned at the thought of him seeing her in such a state: asleep, in dress robes made for a evening that led to a sleepless night, in a room that must have been designed for love-making, and sleep-tousled.

"And to what do I owe your presence, Malfoy?" Hermione said, sitting up and scraping her hair back into a ponytail. She reached into her pocket for a hair tie but remembered that she wasn't wearing her own robes.

A heavy silk ribbon matching the robes appeared in her empty hand as she was cursing about lack of a hair-tie and she looked up at Draco.

"Was that you, Malfoy?"

"When have I ever done anything to make you think that I would ever do something for you?"

"Right. House-elf?"

"A rather large one, I'd guess," Draco said, and Severus stepped into the room.

"I heard the beautiful cacophony of a Slytherin and a Gryffindor going at it, so I decided to check on you, Hermione. Put your hair back, child, or it will knot and become the bush it used to be," Snape said tiredly. His face was still smarting from the smack, Hermione could tell.

"So now I'm back to being a child, am I?" Hermione said, rising from the bed and glaring at the much taller man, her wand hand beginning its slow ascension.

"Oh, bloody hell this is like a bad fan-written story," Draco muttered before he left the room. "You'd be interested to know that the weather casters were wrong. It looks as if the flood is going to be resurging soon. In fact, I think that you tow are pretty much stuck here."

From the hallway, Hermione and Severus could hear the POP of Draco apparating.

"I didn't know he could apparate," Hermione said, forgetting about casting a hex on Severus. Hands on hips, she turned her attention back to Severus. "Did you? What were we discussing?"

"You were about to pull that mop of yours out of your face so you could look like a reputable witch," Severus hissed, wanting to get her dander up and not knowing why.

"Reputable witch? What the bloody hell is that supposed to mean, anyway? You're a traitor who killed the greatest headmaster Hogwart's has ever seen, and you're saying that I don't measure up?" Hermione screeched, her wand rising to casting height.

"You know you're the bloody brightest witch of the age, but you refuse to look like it! You spend your time with Potter and Weasley, conveniently forgetting all that being their acquaintance has subjected you to all these years: being petrified, getting changed into a cat, racing through time and punching other students, being used as bait in the bloody Tri-Wizard Tournament " Snape was at full voice, but Hermione cut in.

"That had nothing at all to do with Ron or Harry! That was all due to my 'relationship' with Viktor Krum! You can't blame them for that!" Hermione shouted, but Snape continued his tirade.

"Battling wizards two three four times your age, and on the topic of Weasley, that farce of a relationship you think you have with him!" Snape finished and Hermione went white with anger.

"You shut your mouth now, Severus Snape. You know nothing of what I have with Ron!" Hermione said swinging her arm in what would have been an utterly spectacular slap, had it connected.

Snape caught her wrist in mid-air.

"D'you honestly think you could slap me again, and not pay the price?"

**Okeydokey, chapter 4 for all you fans out there. As I told ya before, a measly 7 reviews will get chapter 5 on your computer screens.**

**By the by, how did everyone like Draco's 'fan-written story' line?**

**Thanks for the reviews I've gotten so far (and I'll be mentioning them more in my notes from now on), and I'll see YOU in the reviews page.**

**Brenna, of the separate-sisters**


	5. Repercussions

**Who Do You Think You Are?!**

**disclaimer: no, neither ladykyo nor the separatesisters own Harry Potter, or the characters therein. We'd like to, but we don't. Feel free to give them to us if you like, though.**

**Chapter 5: Repercussions**

"D'you honestly think you could slap me again and not pay the price?" Snape hissed as he held Hermione's wrist in a vice grip she didn't know he possessed. A moment passed and Hermione tried to wrench her hand away from him.

"There is no price to pay to a traitor like you!" Hermione yelled, sticking her face in his.

Snape's nostrils flared and he swooped his face over hers, crashing his mouth over hers in a crushing kiss. Hermione gasped in surprise and he took the opportunity to slip his tongue into her mouth. His tongue found hers and tasted, wrestling gently, guiding both back into his mouth, where Snape nipped Hermione's tongue gently. After what seemed to be an eternity, Snape finally pulled his face back from Hermione's, leaving both former professor and former student breathless.

It was Hermione who found words first. "How could you do that?" she gasped, backing away from the older man so she could find her breath.

Snape, who had left her so he could lean on the doorframe gave her a vile little smirk. "Because I'm a bloody bastard, isn't that what you would chalk it up to, Granger? After all those things I did while you were my students, wasn't that expected?"

Hermione jerked herself harshly to clear her head. "No. Everything you have ever done, you've done for a reason: on the quidditch pitch you attacked Quirrell – to save Harry; you taught us about werewolves – in hopes I would figure it out to tell Harry; you created anti-petrification draughts – which I was a lucky recipient of; you kept gillyweed and various polyjuice potion ingredients – all of which we needed to keep up the fight against Voldemort; Umbridge could have killed Harry – but with you around, a deputy of Dumbledore himself – she couldn't; and that night – you could have killed Harry. But you didn't! So explain this."

"And yet you still refuse to believe me instead of what Potter thought he saw!" Snape yelled over Hermione's pleas. "Tell me, Hermione 'Brightest Witch of the Age' Granger, what exactly was my 'good reason' to kill the man who took me in, gave me a job and reason to live, and kept me alive when others would have me killed?!"

Hermione stopped, staring at her former teacher. His voice had gone ragged, and as he sagged in the doorway, Hermione saw not only how tired he was, but glimpses of the boy he had been, the man had would have been had he not been tortured by others and been prey for Voldemort himself. His hair hadn't started to go gray yet, and the time he'd spent as a fugitive hiding at Snape Manor had afforded him time to sit and put some weight on, weight he definitely had needed back at Hogwart's. Snape's hair was clean, an improvement from the greasy mess he'd kept at Hogwart's, and as she watched him close his eyes and begin berating himself silently, Hermione saw that he was really quite handsome, in a dangerous way compared to Ron's boyish and more rugged charms. She wondered why he'd kept himself so poorly all those years.

"I don't know, Professor," Hermione said softly.

"Ha," Snape barked in an odd self-deprecating laugh, "Don't call me that anymore. I'll never teach again, and even if I did, you've far surpassed my tutelage."

"I'm tired. And I need to think. May I rest here?" Hermione changed the subject so abruptly Snape's head whipped up. Hermione bit her lip and waited.

"Fine. Try not to disturb anything too much. This room meant much to me when I was your age," Snape said in an almost nostalgic tone. He turned and left the room and many questions behind.

Hermione shut the door softly as she wondered what to do about the professor and her escape. She walked back to the large, soft bed and peeled the covers back, climbing in wearing the dress robes as she had nothing else to change into. She pulled the covers up to her neck and freed an arm to flick her wand to douse the lights.

Severus Snape was busy getting very drunk in his personal sitting room much later that night when Draco Malfoy apparated into the room right before his very eyes.

"Now what? We weren't expecting her to appear here. If it had been Black or Tonks or even Lupin, things would be so much easier. But anything she finds out, Potter and the Weasleys find out. Anything they find out, the rest of the Order finds out. If just one person in the chain misinterprets between her and the full-blown Order, you and I are dead, and the war is lost," Draco, said, pacing and talking with his hands as Snape watched him, dumb. AN: 'dumb' silently. He is dead-drunk, you know.

Snape slammed his glass tumbler down on the nearest table, a crack running up its side. "I know, Draco, but we have to work with what we've been given. You have contacts to make and things to do while I hold the fort down, as it were, and keep things running in case he stops here while he makes his own contacts. Do you understand me?"

Draco bowed and nodded. "Yes, I understand. Are you going to keep her here?"

"I have to. She can't apparate yet, or if she can, she's such a stickler for rules that she knows how to and won't because she has no license. You have no such scruples. Go, Draco, and check on Potter and Weasley for me."

Draco said no more before he dis-apparated with a muted POP! in deference to the time of night.

Snape looked at his cracked tumbler, firewhiskey oozing through it. He grabbed the glass and flung it into the fire that had been dieing down on the hearth. The flames exploded into life briefly, before shrinking again. He rose and walked over to the liquor cupboard. He opened the double doors and peered inside, snorting at the selection. Firewhiskey, firewhiskey, and more firewhiskey. Draco kept the lighter stuff in the fridge or in his own cabinet.

Slamming the doors shut, Snape left his sitting room for the kitchen, safe in the knowledge that Hermione was asleep and not waiting to berate him anymore. He stalked quietly down to the kitchen, leaving his wand and most of his outer-robes in his rooms. Clad only in his soft black pants, Severus shivered slightly as he adjusted to the temperature of the manor.

Snape arrived in the kitchen shortly thereafter, well-adjusted to the temperature and beginning to sober up from his reverie. He opened a cupboard, cursing his dearth of house-elves that he had to serve himself at night.

"Bloody creatures," Severus muttered, opening a box of salt crackers. "SO few and so old they sleep at seven and never rise till nine or ten the next damn morning."

He stood by a window, staring out into the darkness and munching for a few minutes before he heard a commotion coming from the general direction of where Hermione had bedded down for the night. Throwing the box down on the counter, Snape ran first to his rooms to grab his wand then back towards the wing where Hermione was supposed to be sleeping. The sounds grew louder and more frantic, and Snape began to really run.

It took Snape less than two minutes to get to Hermione's room. The door had been locked, and Snape cursed as he flicked his wand at it to unlock the door. Unlocked, the door was still stuck. Taking a deep breath, Severus leaned back and aimed his shoulder carefully before he rammed his shoulder into the door, successfully crashing it open into the pitch-black room.

"Expelliarmus!" Snape roared, aiming his wand at the form standing over Hermione's contorted, screaming body.

"Umph!" it was Mac's voice that came from the body that hit the wall. "Heh, did you think you could keep 'er for yerself, Severus Snape? A half-blood bint surely can't be worth so much to you. I'm just giving her some ideas before I wake her for my fun. . . Of course, I could be persuaded to share."

"How dare you, Mac? We grew up in the same village. I helped you get out of trouble, and this is how you repay me and the village raping young women? I should have killed you back in the forest," Severus hissed, coming closer to the man he had known for so long.

Hermione was beginning to stir, and she was focusing on the scene before her not giving herself away. She knew Mac had no wand Severus had taken care of that but she had no idea of whether or not he could perform wandless magic.

"Come and get me, you coward. Or are you going to let yet another man steak yet another woman from you?" Mac teased, gingerly rising to his feet.

Severus charged at the other man, his hands going around Mac's neck. He squeezed and squeezed while Mac turned blue from the force of it. Snape relented and let the man up, pushing him out of the room.

"Get out, Mac, and never come back. I will kill you if you harm a hair on this one's head," Snape said, slamming the door shut. Footsteps could be heard heading down the hall, and Snape turned to face the bed. "You can sit up now. He's gone, but I need to take a look at you to see if he did any real damage. That healing draught had worked well."

"You slipped me a healing draught?" Hermione quirked and eyebrow at the tall man as he walked towards her. She could see some faint scars in the moonlight streaming through the clouds.

"You know I did, Hermione. Sit up," Severus said, all business as he sat on the edge of the bed and reached for her arm.

Severus probed Hermione's healing wounds and the bruises given her by Mac while she studied him and the room.

Suddenly, something felt strange to Hermione. The door was shut tight, the windows as well, and she wondered how Mac had gotten in the room in the first place. She felt something brush up against her arm and she looked sharply at Snape.

"Was that you?"

"No. Calm down, and I'll leave you here shortly so you can get back to sleep."

Hermione huffed at that and continued to survey the room. She was scanning the room and was scanning back when a glint of metal caught her eye. Severus was busy examining a healing scrape on her shoulder as she carefully palmed her wand. At the last second, she threw her wand hand up and towards the shadyt figure.

"Expelliamus totalus!" Hermione screamed.

An invisibility cloak flew off Mac's surprised form as he was thrown back and through the window. The glass shattered at the impact and Mac's mouth formed a perfect 'o' of surprise as he fell to the ground outside.

Snape grabbed Hermione and pulled her close to his chest, pressing her face against him to shield her from the glass raining over them. AN: I know it wouldn't be much glass, but trust me on this. Snape turned his back to the window, and as Hermione managed to wriggle out of his grip, she saw the glass had left scratches and deep grooves of blood in his back. She gasped, and Snape spoke quietly to her.

"He won't have survived that, Hermione. This room is rather high up, and Mac has none of the skills you or your friends posses that make you so indestructible. He won't hurt you or anyone else again, so calm yourself," Snape said softly, releasing her fully but placing one of his larger hands on her smaller ones.

"I know, and I knew that when I said the spell. Its your back I'm worried about. But I'm not the brightest witch of the age for nothing, sir," Hermione said, pulling a small vial out of her pocket. "I filched this from your supply earlier. Turn around so I can put some on your back before anything gets infected."

Severus did as commanded and turned around. Hermione pulled the stopper out and tore a piece off her robes, dabbing the rag first in the vial then on his back. Severus hissed at the contact, but she continued her ministrations until the wounds had closed and only faintly pink scar tissue remained. She tapped his shoulder to let him know she was finished.

Severus turned to her and looked into her eyes. They were a deep chocolate brown that seemed to glow from within. "I think we should find you another room to sleep in. This one will grow quite cold without a window."

Hermione looked almost disappointed, but she nodded her head anyway. Severus stood and offered her his hand. Hermione accepted it and got off the bed. Severus led her from the room and down to the kitchen where she'd first slapped him. Severus stopped to put the box of salt crackers back before they moved on.

They wandered the manor for a while before arriving back at Snape's rooms. He let her head in first, and as he entered, Snape shut and locked the door with a charm.

"This is the most secure set of rooms in the manor. Through there you'll find a bedroom and bathroom. If anything happens, I'll be in the sitting room here, with the fire lit. There is a hearth in the bedroom as well, which I suggest you light for warmth. You can lock the door if you like," Severus said as he built the fire up again.

Hermione left the room soundlessly, going into the master bedroom. It was completely different from the room she'd been in for the first part of the night. There was a large desk in one corner, surrounded by great lamps; a closet and two wardrobes stood side by side in another corner, and monstrous bed took up most of the rest of the space. Everything was done in shades of green and gray, anything else would be in black, Hermione knew. She looked around and found the hearth in the darkness. She lit it carefully before she padded over to the desk.

The desk was littered with old papers and essays students had written over the years. Hermione had rarely if ever received her essays back, just the grade, and she sorted through the parchments looking for her signature. Finally, Hermione found something that she recognized.

It was an essay she'd written back in her second year, and it was sticking out of a small book. She looked at the date: she had passed it in the very morning of the day the basilisk had turned its gaze on her and turned her to stone. Severus's handwriting was in a few places, but as she read the comments, Hermione couldn't understand the grades she'd received in his classes. All his comments merely offered more information on the subject matter, not criticisms; the comments broke off abruptly approximately half-way through the document.

Hermione examined the notes in the book where her essay had kept place. They were Snape's lesson notes and class remarks. Towards the bottom of the page, the ink color was slightly different, so Hermione decided to read that part.

_I have spent the day working on an anti-petrification draught for Hermione, as whoever has been attacking the students has turned his sights on her. I must help as only a fellow half- or muggle-born can; I refuse to let her die._

Hermione felt a lump rise in her throat, and she was about to read more when she heard a noise outside the window. She raced to the window and saw bats flying into the night.

"Oh, fuck it," she said to herself, turning and heading back towards the sitting room where Snape staying.

Severus was sitting on the floor in front of the hearth, cursing again because the very firewhiskey he had been searching for earlier was exactly what he had forgotten to bring back to his rooms. He stared at the fire, letting it entrance him until a small hand rested on his shoulder.

Severus looked up, and Hermione was glowing with the firelight on her skin and the scarlet robes he had procured for her.

"May I sit?" she asked quietly. Without an answer, she sat next to him, shivering slightly and moving closer to him without noticing. She looked at him while he looked at her before he turned his attention back to the fire. "I'm glad you find fire so interesting."

"I don't, necessarily, but I'd rather stare into the flame than make conversation. I was very drunk earlier, but now it is wearing off. You should be in bed," Severus said, staring straight ahead.

"But it's your bed. Where will you sleep? On the couch, I assume?" Hermione said, pulling her body away from his.

"I probably won't sleep at all. Why did you come out here?"

"I wanted to thank you for saving me."

"I should have killed Mac back in the forest. I never thought he'd actually try again," Severus said, turning from the fire to Hermione.

"I meant in the forest. And when Mac showed up in the room," Hermione said, looking into Severus's eyes. Those eyes had always seemed black to her, but upon inspection in the firelight, Hermione realized that his eyes were not black but a green even darker than Harry's.

"I should be thanking you. The thing in his hand was a cursed athame a " Snape began but Hermione cut him off.

" cursed magical dagger that, had it connected, would have wounded you in such a way that only a dangerous and long-brewing potion would have saved you, if it were started within half an hour of the wounding. Fifth year potions, preparations for the OWLs. I came to your dungeons for extra help, remember, and you said you had no time to help the 'un-helpable'? I think I showed youquite well," Hermione said matter-of-factly.

"Un-helpable in that you needed no help. Why spend time over-preparing a student so talented when there were others who would never pass without my help? If you had stayed after that session which if you recall, I invited you to do, if not attend the next, and you turned me down I was going to ask you to be my aid. I never meant to upset you," Severus said, reaching for Hermione's wrist. She let him take her wrist, but she moved to stand up. "Hermione, you may stay and pass the time here, if you so wish."

Hermione shook her head 'no' and held her hand out to him. "We need the sleep, and the forest outside the bedroom window is too unfamiliar."

"I'll walk you in there and build the hearth up for you, check the windows and such. Then you'll be fine," Severus said, standing up and heading for the bedroom.

The fire was weak, so he added wood and muttered and incantation over it. He checked and charmed the window for her and pulled the coverlet of the bed back. Hermione smiled wanly and climbed into bed.

"My gods, this is why I never had children," Snape muttered, leaning over Hermione and pulling the covers over her carefully.

"I feel nothing like your daughter, if that makes you feel better," Hermione said in a low voice.

Snape stiffened, trying to hide his reaction from her. He straightened and turned to leave her for the night, to save her from himself. Hermione caught his hand and placed it at the base of her neck.

"And I don't want to be alone tonight."

**w00t! Another chapter for all the loyal fans. You give me ten, ten eensy-weensy lil' reviews and you'll get their night all the faster. Will he leave her, or will he give in to her invitation, knowing that it will complicate everything in the morning and that nothing will ever be the same.**

**So, 10 reviews and you get the 6th chapter (which is already written and waiting to be ransomed!)**

**Brenna, of the separate-sisters**


	6. Because the Night Belongs to Lovers

**Who Do You Think You Are?!**

**disclaimer: no, neither ladykyo nor the separatesisters own Harry Potter, or the characters therein. We'd like to, but we don't. Feel free to give them to us if you like, though.**

**Okay, so I don't get kicked off this site, even though we know Hermione's canon birthday, in this story she is of age. Construe that any way you like: American standards, British, canon, or Dutch. But I won't mention the whole thing again, okay?**

**And to keep your subscription to 'Who Do You Think You Are?!' renewed, we require a down payment of 10 lil' reviews; just 10 lil' reviews will keep this story going. And trust me, you want this to keep going.**

**Chapter 6: Because the Night Belongs to Lovers. . .**

_**Because the Night**, 10,000 Maniacs_

**Take me now, baby, here as I am  
Hold me close, try and understand**

Severus looked sharply at the woman who'd been his student; she was the brightest witch of the age, of age, and she didn't want to spend the night alone.

Hermione was afraid of what she'd said. She never took initiative in that way, and now she had to backtrack.

"Th that's not exactly what I meant. It's just that I don't think either one of us could sleep after everything that happened today," Hermione said, flustered over her mixed meanings. Not that what she had just said would clear everything up.

"Granger, you said that you don't want to be alone. What exactly do you think I am inferring from your invitation?" Severus said, a half-smile beginning to quirk the corners of his mouth. "Besides, if I were to stay in here, what would people think Ron, Harry, your beloved parents? And if you were to fall asleep, I would be able to end your life quickly and without a chance for you to defend yourself."

"You are the one who keeps referring to what Harry 'thought he saw'. But if you don't want me to trust you" Hermione trailed off, smirking at the older man.

Severus weighed that for a moment. Here was a child woman, he corrected himself whose life he had made hell for six long years, yet she was going to offer her trust on the off-chance that her best friends were wrong about what they'd seen or heard. He swallowed hard and fought his baser instincts.

"I thank you for that, Hermione, more than I think you know," Severus said quietly. "Shall we spend the time talking? When you do drift off, I'll head over to my desk chair, and you need not fear that anyone will get in here to harm you."

Hermione nodded and scooched over while patting the covers. "Have a seat and tell me a story."

Severus stiffened before he sat on the comforter, facing Hermione as she piled pillows behind her and offered one to him. He took it and placed it in his lap.

"Thank you, Hermione. What shall we talk about?" Severus said, and he cursed himself for sounding the fool. He sounded like a gawky teenager, and he had thought he'd outgrown that. He continued to fuss with the pillow until he noticed Hermione staring at him. He realized he still wasn't wearing a shirt, but the room was bloody warm. She could deal with a bare chest, couldn't she?

"Ron usually folds the pillow in half, puts it behind him, and leans back. I don't know what you're doing, but I think the pillow is ready to sue for peace at this point," Hermione laughed, and Severus glared at her. "Sorry. Well. . . Did you ever play quidditch for Slytherin?"

"No. I played for fun in this village and occasionally I played during break times at Hogwart's. I tried out for the team, but when the Captain saw James Potter play along with his cohorts, he decided I just wouldn't cut it against them. Just another thing to chalk up to that old feud," Severus said, dumping the pillow behind him and sitting up straighter, his legs off the side of the bed.

"It wasn't James's fault, you know. It was that Slytherin captain you would have been a dedicated player."

"Ah, yes, and I must have just turned to potions-making to comfort myself, is that how it goes?"

Hermione glared at him before she continued. "Not necessarily. Were you ever in love while you were at school?"

Severus regarded her for a moment before he closed his eyes to think about whether or not to answer her very personal question. Finally, after a few moments he opened his eyes and spoke.

"Yes. She had the most beautiful expressive eyes and beautiful silken hair; I think I loved her, as much as I'm able, but others got in the way."

"Lily was a beautiful woman, Severus; James never thought about whether or not you would be hurt by his actions," Hermione said, placing her hand on his.

Severus snorted. "I'm not talking about Lily, Hermione; I loved _her_ as if she were my sister. I loved N another woman. She would have married me, but for my blood her family wouldn't have me. She was pregnant and didn't know it. They married her off to a wealthy man with the right blood and the child is none of your concern," Severus said, leaning away from Hermione as his memories began to overwhelm him.

"Now you can answer a question for me: why do you insist upon spending your time with Potter and Weasley when you could have graduated early and have a career teaching at Hogwart's or in the Ministry of Magic?"

**Desire is hunger is the fire I breathe  
Love is a banquet on which we feed**

Hermione thought for a moment, and as she sat there quietly, Severus began to notice how much she had truly grown in the short time between her last class with him and this encounter. Her hair was longer and not as bushy, surely do to copious amounts of anti-frizzing serums; her face had gotten thinner thanks to stress, and the promise of the gangly study-bug from six long years ago was fulfilled in shapely legs, hips and a rear end to dream about, a soft belly that bespoke her confidence and lack of body-image issues, and a bust that begged to be worshipped and played with. Severus stared at her body, not caring that it was inappropriate.

'No, sir, it _would_ have been inappropriate a few months ago, when she was your student. But she's not your student anymore, and of age. Show her what a man can do, not what her little toy thinks he can,' Severus heard his desire in a loud, clear voice, and he wondered how long it would be before she fell asleep so he could duck into the master bathroom to relieve himself of the ache in his groin.

Not that Hermione was making it any easier on him or experiencing any less of a lecture from her carnal half. Without realizing it, she was twisting in such a way that the scarlet robes were bunching around her thighs and straining against her breasts. Hermione was silently wishing a breeze would blow through, not just to cool off her heating blood, but to be blame for the reaction the man across from her was having on her body.

"I spend my time with them because 1) they love me for being me, even though I nag them and do my best to keep them on the straight and narrow and 2) they can accept the times when I do, and I quote, 'very un-Hermione things' like punching Draco back in our third year."

"Or chasing down a former professor and let him save you, and let him kiss you?" Severus said, moving closer to the young woman.

"I didn't let you kiss me," Hermione said, her voice taking on a husky quality.

"But you didn't stop me. Would you stop me if it happened again?" Severus whispered, beginning to give in to himself.

"I I wouldn't know. And it would be impetuous of me to make the decision based on previous experience. But it would be even more un-Hermione of me to wait for it to happen again to decide," she said, wetting her lips as she leaned back from the man. She licked her lips again, inadvertently teasing him.

"You have been doing many very un-Hermione like things all day. Would Hermione slap a teacher?" Severus said, closing the distance between them. He inhaled her scent, sweet vanilla and cinnamon sin, as he reached a hand up to her cup the side of her face. His thumb stroked her cheek down to her jaw, and Hermione leaned into his palm, breathing softly into it.

"No, I don't think she would, even now," Hermione breathed in his musk, wintergreen and pine, masculine yet comforting.

**Come on now, try and understand  
The way I feel under your command**

Severus looked at Hermione turning her face into his touch and something inside him changed, began to heal and grow as her lips gently kissed his palm. He took his other hand off the bed and put it behind her head, supporting her and yet pulling her closer to him. When her lips were a breath away from his, she sighed and he couldn't control himself anymore.

Severus closed the distance between their mouths in a heartbeat, his lips touching hers in the softest kiss he could muster. He'd not been with a woman in so long, a real woman who came alive in his arms as she did. Hermione gasped as he slipped a hand down her neck and shoulder, coming to rest on her ribs, his thumb gently brushing the underside of her breast. Severus slipped his tongue into her mouth and tasted her again, this time the sweetness of her surrender to him.

He wrestled her tongue for a while, slipping his around so he could explore her exquisite mouth while she alternately gasped and sighed. He pulled his tongue away from hers, and she followed, trying his mouth as he had hers, playfully nipping with her teeth. Severus brought his other hand down to her other side, cupping her other breast while she leaned her head back.

Severus moved his mouth from hers down to her neck, leaving a warm wet trail down one side and up the next. He stopped at her ear and his breath tickled her between her ear and her hairline. Hermione giggled as he ran his tongue over the shell of her ear. Her hands moved to his shoulders, roving over the muscle she'd never noticed before.

Hermione pushed him back slowly, her eyes meeting with his. Severus's eyes had gone almost completely black, with dark green fire burning at the edges while Hermione's eyes were a creamy, dreamy chocolate brown. She studied him for a moment before she lifted her lips for another kiss.

Severus broke the kiss that time, his breathing ragged and shallow. He wiped his mouth carefully, inhaling their mingled scents. He swallowed hard as he reached for Hermione again.

"Hermione," he whispered as she closed her eyes, "Open your eyes for me; they are exquisite eyes that I want to see."

She opened her eyes and a blush crept up her cheeks. "But if I close them, do you promise you won't disappear?"

"I won't leave, but if I kiss you again, and believe me, I want to kiss you again, this won't stop there. It can't stop at another kiss," Severus said, pulling her closer, knowing she wouldn't stop him.

"I know."

**Take my hand, come under cover  
They can't hurt you now**

Hermione let him kiss her again, hungrier this time than ever before. She'd never been kissed like this before, and she rather liked it. Her hands roved over his shoulders and back, tracing the many scars, even the own from his Dark Mark; she didn't even find it strange that the mark didn't bother her any more. She scraped her nails down his sides and he groaned into her mouth.

"Hermione," Severus whispered, pushing her back against the bed. He continued to lick and kiss his way down her body, stopping over parts he liked. He stopped at the neckline of her robes, licking around it until Hermione was reaching up to remove them herself.

Severus grabbed Hermione's wrists as she reached for the neckline of her robes. He placed her hands on his neck, letting her guide him as she liked. He reached up and began to pull the robes away from her bust; when the fabric resisted, he grew impatient and ripped the silk all the way down to her belly button.

Severus's breath on her skin made Hermione shiver and giggle as if she were a mere school girl. He caught her eye and smirked at her.

"You've seen nothing, my dear," he said against the side of her breast. He licked the side of her breast in long laps until he reached her taught nipple. He latched on and suckled lightly at first. Hermione gasped at the warm wet contact, pulling back slightly in her pleasure. Severus raised his head to look into her eyes, and Hermione mock-glared at him.

"I have two, you know," Hermione said, pushing his head to her other breast. Severus latched on as if he were a starving man, suckling and kissing, licking and biting until Hermione couldn't take any more.

"Please," Hermione mewled in pleasure. Severus smiled at her and continued his ministrations. He paid her cries no heed as he played on, using his hands and mouth on her until she cried out again. "Please!"

"Please what?" Severus said, pulling his face from her breasts, while keeping his hands in place, playing as he watched her reactions.

Not able to form any new words, Hermione said yet again, "Please," while reaching for him. "Please."

Her eyes were large and luminous in the pale moonlight streaming through the window. The passion and the flames from the hearth had warmed her skin. Severus watched her chest heave in her desire and turned to look quickly at the hearth; without another word, he lifted her and carried Hermione to the plush rugs in front of the fire.

**Because the night belongs to lovers  
Because the night belongs to lust  
Because the night belongs to lovers  
Because the night belongs to us**

Hermione shivered at the fire, turning her face from Severus to the flames, her torso bared to the firelight. He back was to him, and he couldn't stand it.

"Never turn your face from me," he hissed, wrapping his arms around her waist and turning her to him.

"Never," Hermione growled back, pushing her mouth to his throat, nipping at him before she trailed kissed down his chest. She reached for him and Severus pulled away, his eyes aflame as he held her at arms length.

He kissed her roughly and left her at the fireside, his face burning from the shame of what he had been about to do. He trotted to the door leading to the sitting room and slammed it behind him.

Hermione, shaken by his abrupt departure, gathered the robes about her and sat staring into the fire, her face hot with shame and anger.

And longing.

**Here's the reposted chapter. . . Sorry about the stuff tagged on at the end. Both my beta and I missed that. grins sheepishly**

**Tchau!**


	7. The Night Belongs to Us

**disclaimer: no, neither ladykyo nor the separatesisters own Harry Potter, or the characters therein. We'd like to, but we don't. Feel free to give them to us if you like, though.**

**Okay, so I don't get kicked off this site, even though we know Hermione's canon birthday, in this story she is of age. Construe that any way you like: American standards, British, canon, or Dutch. But I won't mention the whole thing again, okay?**

**Same deal as last time: 10 reviews or the next chapter gets it. . .**

**Hahah; seriously, I think from now on I will only request between 5- 10 reviews to get the next chapter. Thank you so much for all the wonderful reviews so far!**

**One last thing: yeah, I screwed up and left the rest of the lyrics at the end of the last chapter. I have reposted without the extra scram at the bottom, and here is Ch 7!**

**Chapter 7: . . . The Night Belongs to Us.**

_**Because the Night**, 10000 Maniacs_

**Have I doubt, baby, when I'm alone  
Love is a ring on the telephone**

It had been too close a call for Severus to trust himself in the same room as Hermione and that body of hers. Coupled with her attitude and change towards him, Severus knew she was a most formidable force.

Severus had warded the door behind him, and he assumed that she would come to her senses and put herself to bed, not to bother him again that night. He looked at the empty tumbler left on the low table and rummaged through his liquor cabinet again.

He slammed the doors of the cabinet in disgust. A grown wizard should know how to keep a liquor cabinet stocked, and here he was, searching in vain for a bottle that was nowhere to be found. Severus glanced at the bedroom door and decided he could chance it.

Grabbing a robe and his wand this time, Severus left his rooms and warded the outer doors with even tighter woven spells. To keep Hermione in and others out, for her own sake. Satisfied the room was tight, Severus headed towards the kitchen and as he came upon the poorly lit room, he decided to dodge the scene of so much from earlier.

Instead, Severus trotted to rooms he hadn't seen since he'd become professor at Hogwart's: the Senior Snape's rooms, the rooms his father had used and Snape had sealed in hatred. Chances were good that a bottle of firewhiskey was stilling waiting for the old master that would never return. Severus raised his wand and thought better of it, putting it back in his robe pocket and reaching for the doorknob instead.

Severus tried the knob and it turned with a little force. Severus laughed a self-deprecating laugh; when he had sealed these rooms, he had obviously thought that no-one else was as powerful as he. He had been so weak then, yet so cocky. To think at such an age that he could make wards that would stand up to time, let alone a more experienced wizard. It was rather funny, but it made him pause: if these wards were so weak, he would have to go around the manor and entire estate, really, to check all the other wards he may have set when he was weaker and, well, stupider.

The large door finally swung inward and dust swirled in front of Severus as he peered into the rooms he'd rarely been invited into. Whenever he was asked to join his father, it was never for anything good, save when the owl had finally arrived from Hogwart's. But even that wasn't a good memory, and certainly not one he'd share with anyone.

Snape entered the room that in his own set was a combined study/ sitting room. As he looked around, it was obvious that this room had only ever been a study. The fireplace still held the remains of the last fire ever lit there, while the desk was tidy if a bit dusty from decades of dis-use; a liquor cabinet sat in the corner, far larger than Severus's own and with a more complicated locking ward.

Severus ignored the liquor cabinet for a moment while he padded over to the bedroom. The bedroom door creaked open at his touch, and for a moment, Severus was stuck by the fear he'd lived with as a child. Shaking his head to clear the awful memories, he stepped in and lit his wand.

"Lumos," he said quietly, and the room was bathed in a soft light. Dust had settled over everything, and the house-elves had clearly followed his own orders to leave everything alone, as the bed was still unmade and perfume bottles still lined a dresser. A window had been cracked, and water from the storms pooled on the floor beneath the large window that in daylight overlooked the entire grounds, which at one point been the height of luxury in the wizarding world.

After looking around the room for a few minutes and fixing the window, Severus turned his back on the room and headed back towards the study. Something caught his eye from the master bathroom, however, and Severus stalked towards the light source.

Kicking the door open, Severus held his wand at a defensive level as he inspected the small room. From the light of his wand, he could see that a large gilt mirror had reflected the light from his wand. He held his wand over the bathtub and saw that there was a last bath still drawn in it Sighing, Severus left that room, too, not knowing what he thought he'd find by investigating the two rooms.

In the study, Severus stalked over to the liquor cabinet, intent on breaking the wards. He tapped his wand over the doors multiple times, trying to break the wards down. The first few broke easily, but about halfway through the procedure, Severus began to run into tougher wards that required his full attention. Finally, as the last ward broke and sweat had beaded on his forehead, Severus had succeeded.

Sort of.

He wrenched the doors open to find a note in an envelope addressed to him and not signed. He ripped it open and read:

_Severus, do not think that it has not come to our attention that you like to drink. Well, this is not yours, so you had better go find some of your own. I set those wards, and if they are broken, I'll know who did it, and you will pay when I find them broken._

Severus snorted at the threat. A man who had been dead for decades had left a note for Severus's perhaps 15year old self. The old buzzard thought he'd always scare Severus; it never occurred to the other man that he wouldn't live forever.

However, Severus was still thirsty if nothing else, and he had no firewhiskey to show for the excursion. He shut the empty cabinet and left the room, although he didn't ward it.

"Perhaps it is time for me to become rightful ruler of Snape Manor."

**Love is an angel, disguised as lust  
Here in our bed 'til the morning comes**

Hermione had sat and watched the fire for a while. She refused to feel guilt or shame over what had happened. She was an adult, as was Severus, so what harm was there in enjoying one another's charms?

_Ask Ron,_ a little voice in her head reminded her, _he'll be sure to tell you exactly what's wrong with that._

Hermione knew that she loved Ron, but she questioned her actions and what they meant.

Did she love Ron forever, as in marriage, a house and a gaggle of kids with no more world outside her home than Diagon Alley to shop for school supplies for the kids and the train station to send them off to school? If she did that for Ron, would he expect that any daughters they might have do the same for another man? Had Ginny been right, that no true girlfriend or best friend would suggest comas? Would Ron and Harry, as well see Hermione's side, or would they feel as Ginny did: betrayed and walked-on?

Suddenly, Hermione felt cold. She didn't usually subject herself to the second-thoughts she was having at that moment, but usually she did all the thinking before she, Ron or Harry did anything. This time, she had done without thinking time and again, from leaving with the letter instead of giving it to Sirius, the situations with Mac, slapping Severus, kissing him, almost making love to him and wanting to make love to him.

After a good thinking session, Hermione had a few ideas and she felt more herself. But not the first-year 'you could be killed or worse, expelled' Hermione; rather, the third-year, Draco-punching, time-bending Hermione that had learned the hard way that sometimes people aren't who you want them to be, who they tell you they are or portray themselves as. She looked down at the state of the robes and she began to search for her wand.

Upon finding her wand, Hermione flicked it at her robes, changing them to a deep golden color and repairing them to her tastes: they were tighter and stretchy while the neckline dipped into a low vee over her breasts, cording roped under her breast and accentuating her curves.

She felt the wards over the door and thought a moment before she got up and began to look around the room. She examined objects and knocked on random places on the wall before she reached Severus's desk, which was either near the sitting room wall or to a part of the wall that the hallway shared. She pushed the desk out of the way and knocked sequentially in a few different shapes. Finally, she was tapping out letter shapes and on the letter 'N', the wall disappeared and Hermione could see into the hallway.

"I'm not the brightest witch of the age for nothing, Severus," Hermione grunted as she crawled through the low, narrow space. She tumbled into the hall and headed for the kitchen for something to eat. She had no idea where Severus was, and she figured that with his 'sonar', he'd find her on his own.

**Come on now, try and understand**

**The way I feel under your command**

Severus was heading back to his own rooms to check on Hermione when he heard something from the kitchen. Figuring it was Draco, he headed straight in without announcing himself or rearranging his robe over his bare torso. He was still in a state from earlier, but as all males know, no male would ever politely comment on another's condition.

A gasp came from a figure framed by the open refrigerator doors.

Hermione was gilded in light that made her skin and dress glow. The cold from the fridge had puckered her nipples, and the apple in her hand made her more tempting than Eve.

"You're an angel," Severus breathed, his eyes roving over her pert form. He stood watching her as his body began to react violently to her presence and beauty.

"I'm no angel, Severus," Hermione said huskily, taking a risk with a hearty bite of her apple. Juice seeped out of the corners of her mouth, drips she wanted him to taste. "You should know that by now."

In three great strides, Severus was across the room, licking the juice from her mouth. He kissed her deeply and removed the apple from her hand. He lifted her on the counter and slammed the fridge doors shut.

"A goddess, then, my golden goddess of wisdom. For you surely inspire me to do many things you would find great," Severus said, positioning himself so he stood between her legs, his hands on her thighs.

"But muses inspire men, not goddesses," Hermione said, playfully contrite.

"This goddess does," Severus said, kissing her savagely as his hands parted her skirts and began to creep up her bare, soft thighs. His hands worked their way up to her knickers, and Snape wondered absently where she had gotten them. Surely one such as her should were silk or lace or nothing if she were with him, not these cotton fences.

Hermione leaned into his kiss and gasped as he found her hot, soft core; she was still wet from the tease earlier. She tried to move closer, but he used his mouth and shoulders to push her back. Playfully, she pushed back at him.

"Unless you want me to tie you down while I enjoy you, you had better stop that," Severus growled. Hermione thought on that a second before she wriggled again. Severus broke the kiss and looked into her eyes. "Please. . . if I were to do that, I'd never last, and you would hate me for such a first time."

Hermione froze at his last words. As he continued to kiss his way down her neck, Hermione trembled in fear at the anger if he didn't know.

"Severus, I'm"

"I know. But trust me, this will be like another first time, I promise," he said, pushing her back so she was flat on the counter. Hermione shivered because the marble was icy, but Severus charmed it so it warmed her skin. Suddenly, she was embarrassed and she stiffened as he leaned over her and kissed her throat and breasts, skimming her stomach and finally resting a few inches higher than the fire he was supposed to be putting out. Sensing her distress, Severus licked just below her belly button and blow across, sending shivers of pleasure up her spine. "Alright, I lied. It will be better than the first time."

Hermione had to laugh. This was a side that she'd never seen of him; he was making her laugh so she wouldn't be embarrassed, a far cry from when she'd been his student and it had been his utmost pleasure to make her blush. He still liked to see her blush, obviously, but now it was in delight, not in disgust or self-loathing. She began to feel better, and she relaxed into his attentions.

"That's my Kittie," Severus said as he massaged her sides and belly, helping her relax while at the same time stoking her passion. Her legs were still hanging off the edge of the counter, and Hermione managed to wriggle her bum to the edge as well, so she could rub herself against his arousal. "Hermione. . ."

Severus brought his mouth back down to her stomach, and this time, he didn't stop just below her belly button; he kissed and nipped ever lower and closer to his goal as Hermione began to writhe in hopes of relieving some of the pressure that had already built.

Severus pulled Hermione's cotton knickers away from her, chucking them across the room as he bent his mouth to her. At the first pressure of his mouth on her curls, Hermione gasped his name.

Smiling, Severus placed a dainty kiss on her pouting lips, eliciting another gasp.

"You are beautiful, Hermione," Severus said, putting his mouth over her crevice and massaging her with his lips and tongue. A bead of moisture formed and he carefully tongued it, slipping his tongue deep into her folds. He lapped at her in long strokes and short strokes, quicker and slower, until she could feel the pressure building to an almost painful peak.

Severus found her bead and sucked on it until he felt her juices drenched his mouth. By then, he was painfully hard and engorged he could barely stand it anymore. She was ready, and he pulled her bum to the edge of the counter, freeing his erection from his sleep bottoms and positioning himself at her entrance.

"Severus," Hermione said dreamily, flinging an arm across her face, "Severus. . ."

Severus leaned down and kissed her temple as he slid himself into her welcoming core. He gasped at how tight she still was, and as he slowly began to piston himself inside and out she gripped him with a sweet friction he'd never known before. He tried to keep his pace steady but he knew he'd not last long. Soon he was gasping as she was, and he fought to control his impulses as he felt his own orgasm building.

Severus kept pumping, pulling Hermione closer, until he exploded in her.

"Hermione!"

**Take my hand, come under cover  
They can't hurt you now**

"Severus!" Hermione's own cries echoed Severus's. He had pulled her so tight to him she thought they'd never part again.

Finally, she gathered enough energy to sit up and lean into Severus, encircling his waist with her arms in the quiet reverie and afterglow. She carefully dis-engaged herself partially so she could lean into him better; she rested her head on his chest and breathed in their mingled scent. His chin rested on her head while his breathing slowed and steadied.

"Hermione," Severus said, savoring the feel of her name on his tongue. He held her as if she would break now, after all was said and done. Her arms tightened on his waist as he straightened up. "Hermione. Look at me. What is wrong?"

She looked up at him sheepishly. "You left me earlier, and I thought you'd do it again. And I kind of wonder what's on your mind now. . ."

Severus lifted her carefully in his arms, cradling her as if she were no more than a doll. He smiled down on her, but she almost didn't recognize it it wasn't as if he'd ever smiled at her while at Hogwart's. She smiled back carefully, wondering what was going on.

"What is on my mind is the fact that you are a sweet child who's grown into a beautiful woman, more desirable than anyone else. I have made love to you in one way, in one room, and I do believe that there is a fire roaring in the hearth back in our rooms. "

**Because the night belongs to lovers  
Because the night belongs to lust  
Because the night belongs to lovers  
Because the night belongs to us**

Hermione and Severus luxuriated in the heat of the fire after another bout of lovemaking. They had ravished one another's bodies, exploring and touching while they played.

It was late into the night when they finally fell asleep, curled around one another in front of the last embers of the fire. Neither knew that they smiled in their sleep and dreams.

**With love we sleep, with doubt the vicious circle turns, and burns  
Without you, I cannot live, forgive the yearning burning  
**

Hermione woke to the sensation of fingertips running along her spine and she woke to Severus tracing her every vertebrae. She shivered and tried to pretend that she was still asleep.

"Hermione," Severus said, his hands splaying over her stomach as she rolled over to look at him. "I know you're awake."

Hermione opened one eye and then the other. Severus was clad in a large luxurious soft robe in dark green and he reached behind himself to grab a fluffy gold robe for her to wrap herself in. He handed the robe to Hermione wordlessly, waiting for her to compose herself.

"Severus," Hermione said, trying to figure out what she should say. She had come to kill him, and instead she'd made love to him; no matter how she looked at things, her ideas had changed about him and the situation. "I'm sorry, but we have to talk."

**I believe in love too real to feel, take me now**

**Take me now, take me now**

Severus swallowed hard as he contemplated what was going to happen. Hermione could cry foul and he could be branded a molester; she could have guilt and blame him; she could see her chance and kill him, because he knew he could not defend himself against her, not if it meant she'd be hurt.

"Hermione, think before you speak. What you say could change everything that has happened and will happen," Severus said, looking into her eyes.

Hermione looked away first, thinking and chewing on her hair a bit before she answered him.

"I can't do what I came here to do any longer. And I had a strange dream last night I want to hear your side of the story. After all this, I feel I owe you at least that," Hermione said, getting into the robe better and cinching it around her waist. She sat up and moved closer to Severus, who was regarding her quietly. She reached a hand out and took one of his larger hands in her smaller one; she sat close to him and leaned into him, wrapping his arms around her own body.

**Because the night belongs to lovers  
Because the night belongs to lust  
Because the night belongs to lovers  
Because the night belongs to us**

"If I tell you what really happened, would you believe me, or use it against me?" Severus asked as he held Hermione. "If I tell you what happened, you'll have to promise me one thing. And you must promise before I tell you anything else."

"I promise," Hermione blurted, and she gasped as she felt the binding of her words. "A binding made of my own words, hmm? I'd forgotten; a promise between muggles is only as strong as each muggle's word."

"I told you to be careful and think before you spoke. Now you must stay here until the term begins after I finish my story," Severus said, fear, pity and hope battling in the region of his heart.

"It is alright, dear one, I don't blame you. But can we please eat while you tell your story?"


	8. Snape's Side of the Story

**disclaimer: no, neither ladykyo nor the separatesisters own Harry Potter, or the characters therein. We'd like to, but we don't. Feel free to give them to us if you like, though.**

**Alright, for the next chapter, same as usual, 10 reviews will get you the next chapter. Also, I would love it if you gave some particular likes/ dislikes and the direction in which you'd like the story to go. **

**Enjoy!**

**Chapter 8: Snape's Side of the Story**

Hermione and Severus had made their way down to the kitchen in relative yet companionable silence. Severus had walked slightly ahead of Hermione, in case anyone had made way into the house. He had no idea why he felt so much more protective towards the much younger woman, more protective than he had felt in her six years at Hogwart's. As they rounded the last corner into the kitchen, he put his arm out as he ducked his head into the room to scope it out. Hermione had been caught in her thoughts and she walked right into his arm.

Hermione rubbed her torso where she'd connected with Severus's arm and as he looked back to see what was the matter she smiled up at him. "Sorry. Busy thinking about big bats in dirty cloaks."

Severus glared at her and she gave a silvery laugh at the expression. Severus relaxed and let her go into the kitchen first, judging that there was no immediate threat. "Yes, while you're thinking naughty thoughts about your most hated professor I've been making sure that no-one who wants to hurt you can."

Hermione stepped into the kitchen and turned to face Severus, reaching for his hands. "I know. Don't worry, this will wear off soon enough."

Severus gritted his teeth in something that could have been a smile. "I thought you were hungry. Shall we eat?"

"Do you know how to cook? Or do you expect house-elves to do everything for you?"

If this was how every morning was going to start, Severus was beginning to understand why Weasley had gotten stuck with her. He opened his mouth to tell her so when he thought better of it. "As a matter of fact, Miss Granger, I can cook and take care of a household myself."

Hermione wrenched her hand from his and glared at him. "'Miss Granger' my bloody ass! So you think you can go back to the way things were now. I promised that I would stay here this entire damn summer and I can't leave. You said you'd tell me what the hell is going on. What exactly happened between the bedroom

and the kitchen, Severus?"

He couldn't explain it either. But when she said 'Don't worry, this will wear off soon enough', something snapped in his head, or perhaps his heart: he didn't want to lose her, not so soon.

"I don't know, Hermione! I just I can't explain this right now; we need to eat and I'll explain once we have some food in our stomachs. You're the one who said she was hungry, anyways," Severus said, ushering her into the kitchen. Once inside, he spun her around and gave her a quick, hard kiss. As he looked into her kiss-dazed eyes, he spoke once more, "That should clear something up."

As it turned out, neither Severus nor Hermione was a complete mess in the kitchen; however, neither was a top chef, so they ended up eating pan-fried potatoes and bangers (AN: burger-like ground meat patties. . . I love UK slang!). Hermione sat on the counter while Snape leaned against an island directly across from her. Their spat was forgotten and every so often Hermione would reach across and rub his thigh with one of her feet. Severus caught her foot in one of his hands and tickled it gently. Her eyes were lidded as he looked into them. He let her foot go gently and took her empty plate from her, setting it on the counter.

"I'm sorry about earlier, Severus. I guess I am a little upset about having to spend the rest of the summer here. Not that I want to leave you, understand, but I'm angry at myself for forgetting that things are different in the wizarding world. When I promise something to a muggle friend, it is only as good as my word. When I promise to another witch or wizard, it's binding; it had been hard to transition from muggle to wizard life. But I know that's no excuse, and I'm sorry. I'll be better for you, I promise," Hermione said, then she slapped her forehead with the palm of her hand. "My gods, I did it again. Merlin."

"I know, and I bear some of the blame; I shouldn't have asked you to promise before you knew what you'd be promising. An older wizard should never do anything like that to a younger witch or wizard witches especially," Severus kissed her hand as he spoke. Straightening, he changed subjects again. "However, I did say I would tell you what has happened. Know this: the reason I made you promise to stay here is because this information is highly volatile; if it got out before it was time, the entire wizarding world would be at risk."

Hermione nodded and straightened her robe, becoming all business. "Yes, and I promised to stay and listen to everything. I want to help you, Severus, because I can do no less after last night. But I just pray that I've picked correctly," she said, averting her eyes.

Severus cupped her chin in his hand, lifting her face until he could look into her eyes. "Stop doubting yourself, and stop doubting me. Settle in because this is a long story."

AN: this is entirely Snape's side of the story, so I'm not going to deal with dialogue, etc. . .

I had been in love a few times and each time I'd lost the girl to some other man, usually one who didn't deserve her. Looking back, the only girl who ever married a man who treated her right was Lily; that's probably why I've spent so much time watching over Harry and the rest of you lot. Well, I have another reason to watch over you now.

That is another story. Back to what I was saying, the other girls I had any interest in were later subjected to unions with vile men, Deatheaters that you've probably fought. I was young and rather inexperienced, and as result I incorrectly assumed that becoming a Deatheater would gain me the power I had craved as a younger boy tormented by so many others, gain me the right to the woman I loved. But that would never happen; she was used as bait to lure me deeper and deeper into the folds of the dark magic and finally she told me she'd be able to marry me if I gave away the location of the Potter residence. I couldn't, and I fled. This was barely a year before the assault on Godrick's Hollow; I fled to Hogwart's and during the time I was running the woman's husband tracked me down and almost killed me. Then Pettigrew joined Voldemort and within a year James and Lily were dead while Dumbledore, McGonagall, Hagrid and I among others scrambled to keep Harry safe.

Why would I work so hard to save the child of the man that had tormented me so? I had loved Lily so much; she had been much like a sister to me, and had worked hard to protect me from the worst of the Marauders mayhem. And it wasn't as if I could save the child of the other woman I loved, or even the woman herself. And I owed such a debt to Dumbledore himself.

When I finally got back to Hogwart's after not being of any more use to Voldemort, I had been attacked by a group of Deatheaters led by the other woman's husband. I was barely alive when Hagrid found me. Because of the service Dumbledore had done him, he brought me to Dumbledore. Albus couldn't even contact Poppy to help, because I was still a fugitive, but I was no longer a Deatheater. That meant something to Albus, and he saw what could be, if we were willing to work at it. He took me in, nursing me back to health with the help of McGonagall and Hagrid. I was training and helping Hagrid learn more magic, as penance for what had been done to him by my former master. It was during that interim that I realized what I owed to Albus himself. After the attack on Godrick's Hollow, Hagrid and I were the ones who took Harry into hiding until Albus and Minerva could do enough damage control and track down the Dursleys. After that, I performed many missions for Albus, in the first iteration of the Order of the Phoenix.

Over the years I waited, finally being instated as Potions master at Hogwart's while we waited for Harry to come of age. The prophecies about Harry were beginning to come to fruition, and other prophecies were being given and growing. One of those prophecies spoke of the companions of the Boy-Who-Lived; once you three were sorted into Gryffindor one after the other we realized that you and Ron were those companions. Yet another prophecy mentioned the girl who would bring him back. At first Sybil AN: Pr. Trelawney thought that prophecy referred to Cho Chang, but now we realize it refers to Ginny Weasley.

The last prophecy was the most disturbing. 'The Man in the Moon may not live while the Boy Who Lived battles the Dark Lord, lest his presence weaken the power of the trinity.' The

AN: end of Snape's story for the time being. . . Hermione's just bursting waiting to say something!

"Man in the Moon is Dumbledore! Harry is the Boy Who Lived, we know, and Voldemort is the Dark Lord. But why did Albus have to die?" Hermione broke into Severus's story, impatient to figure the entire thing out.

"Hermione, he's not dead! He's in hiding, the same way I am!" Severus said, annoyed at the interruption.

"Albus is alive?" Hermione whispered. "I have to tell Ron and Harry! We can win now!"

"No, Hermione," Severus grabbed her before she could leap off the counter. "If you tell Harry, he won't have the power to defeat Voldemort. With Albus gone, Harry has the last impulse he needs to put the petty vendetta he has aside and focus on the final battle. He'll only be in one last battle, and if Albus shows up before Harry casts that last spell, Voldemort will win, and Harry will die. The Weasleys will face worse ends than the Longbottoms. If you think your second year was awful, the second reign of Voldemort would be worse. You and I would be some of the first to fall. We have muggle blood in our veins, and we've both done so many things to foil his plans over the years, he has special reason to hate us."

"But Severus, Albus will be able to formulate a plan along with the rest of the Order. We could all go against Voldemort in the final battle, overpower him with numbers and strength. Prophecy is not the only thing to consider in a decisive battle," Hermione said, trying to wriggle out of Severus's grasp. His hands tightened on her waist, and Hermione stopped moving. "Right?"

Severus shook his head. "No. It is different when the prophecy comes from a sybil."

"Professor Trelawney?"

"Not _Sybil_, Hermione, a 'sybil' a prophetess descended from the ancient tribe of seers. True prophecy rarely happens, but it is the only kind of foreseeing they are stricken with. Every time a sybil gives a prophecy, it is truth. No other sybil in the last millennium has given as many prophecies as Sybil Trelawney. All of her prophecies, even those given before James and Lily were born were focused on Voldemort, Harry, and how the two would interact.

"In short, we have to follow the prophecies as best we can. If Harry doesn't know Albus is around, he has to pull his strength from inside himself something that a hollow shell like Voldemort can't do."

"But you didn't even know that Ginny was the girl who would help Harry you thought it would be Cho Chang! How can you believe the prophecy now?"

"Because the prophecy is so specific."

"But if Albus isn't dead, then isn't the prophecy still not being followed?"

"But Harry doesn't know that!" Severus roared, angry that Hermione was so intent on proving herself right and him wrong. "Giving the impression that Albus is dead will prove to be enough! You have to trust me!"

Hermione froze as he shouted the last words. She blinked a few times as she let things sink in for a moment. She cleared her throat before she spoke. "I'm beginning to understand, but I still don't like it. Can I see Albus?"

Severus gave a great sigh and shook his head. "Not right now. He'll be coming around soon, to speak with Draco and me and discuss our next move. But right now, you need to trust me."

Hermione gave him a weak smile. "I think you're right. There's no way I could be around Ron and Harry and keep this to myself."

She leaned into Severus's chest and sighed, her breath wavering as she fought back tears of joy. He tentatively put his arms around her, waiting for her to speak again.

"And I was just beginning to deal with him being dead, building up all the anger I thought I could use in the last battle. And I was really looking forward to killing you in revenge for what you did to Albus."


	9. Hermione's Reaction and Draco Again

**disclaimer: no, neither ladykyo nor the separatesisters own Harry Potter, or the characters therein. We'd like to, but we don't. Feel free to give them to us if you like, though.**

**Alright, for the next chapter, same as usual, 10 reviews will get you the next chapter. Also, I would love it if you gave some particular likes/ dislikes and the direction in which you'd like the story to go. **

**Chapter 9: Hermione's Reaction and Draco Once Again**

After they had finished breakfast, Hermione and Severus began looking a bit farther a field for things to do. They left the dishes for the house-elves and decided to do some research on how to best help Harry prepare. Severus went back to his rooms to get changed, and Hermione trailed him.

At his rooms, Severus turned back to Hermione, his face mock-stern, "I don't know what exactly you're after, my dear"

Hermione put her hands on her hips and returned the look. "I need clothes for the rest of the time I'm going to be here, Severus."

Severus put his arms around her waist and pulled her close, her robe coming open against his own, which was already half-open. Her warm skin flared when it connected with his. "Do you really, now? I can think of plenty of things you can do without them. . ." he said as he ground his groin into her warmth.

Hermione laughed as she let Severus slide her robe down her arms, shivering as the cool air hit her skin. "Fine, but can I do them in a warm bed?"

Later on that day, sometime after noon, Hermione had finally managed to get Severus out of bed, into clothing and past the kitchen to get something to bring along to eat. Severus had conjured some plain robes for Hermione to wear until they could purchase some proper clothing for her. As they let themselves out of the manor, Severus grabbed a potion from a rack Hermione hadn't noticed.

"What's that?" Hermione said as Severus uncorked the vial.

"This is a disguise potion, so I can go out into the open with you. You'll see me take it, so it won't work on you. Anyone else won't recognize me," Severus said, downing the contents in one gulp.

"And what will this make you look like?" Hermione said, seeing the aura of power shimmer around Severus and settle into his skin. When she looked into his face again, he was the same person but a different light shone from his eyes, one she'd seen recently but couldn't connect to anything. "It won't make you look like anyone you're not supposed to, will it?"

"What? Would it weird you out if I looked like Ron to everyone else but my voice came from his mouth?" Severus chuckled at Hermione's look of horror. "No, Hermione, I won't look like anyone I'm not supposed to. I can be responsible, you know."

"I never thought you were irresponsible. But yes, it would be rather strange to hear your voice coming from Ron's mouth."

"Well, then, take a look into the mirror and you can see how I look to everyone else," Snape said. "Perhaps you should try to guess who I am supposed to look like."

Hermione gave him a glare and looked into the mirror behind them. She gasped at the younger man in the mirror.

"Severus, is that you? You're you, but younger, my age. Is this what you looked like in school?" Hermione said, transfixed by the image in the mirror and her knowledge of the man in the image.

In the mirror, Hermione could see a perhaps sixteen or seventeen year-old Severus Snape, but cleaned up and not at all how Remus and Sirius had described him from school. His hair was longer and fuller then she'd imagined, not greasy at all and actually falling over one eye, an eye that was no longer black but the deepest green it could be without being black. His face was younger, a little fuller, and his skin was translucent instead of sallow, as it had been while he was a Deatheater and Dumbledore's spy. Hermione bit her lip at the reaction her body was having to the image.

She turned to Severus, her Severus

_Her Severus?_

She sighed and gave into the inevitable. She faced the man and saw that the promise in his younger image fulfilled: he'd grown into the nose, and the time away from Hogwart's had done him so much good; his hair was clean and almost as full as that in the younger image, and the skin was beginning to regain its translucence, losing the jaundiced look from before.

"Hermione, do you know about the Aging Charm?" Severus said quietly as Hermione gazed into his face.

"Yes. All adult wizards use a complex system of charms and other things to appear to grow old at the same rate as muggles, due to the increasing number of muggle-born wizards. Most wizards and witches age so slowly once they reach twenty to twenty-five years old that they seem to not age at all to the people who see them daily. This can continue for hundreds of years, and few people know the actual life span of wizards and witches, as due to the wizarding wars and accidents there are few that have died due to 'natural causes' or 'old age'," Hermione recited, and Severus knew that she must have researched it on her own in her quest to find out why there were so many old wizards and witches still around, men and women who could speak for hours about how they defected and used magic to help upstarts like George Washington, Napoleon, and Julius Caesar.

"So you know that even though I'm in my forties, I only actually look about five years older than you?" Severus asked, and Hermione nodded, focusing on his eyes so she wouldn't kiss him again. "Do you prefer the one in the mirror?"

Hermione shook her head. "No. The way you look to me with the Aging Charm, or without it, but not the one in the mirror. He's beautiful, but not as beautiful as you," she whispered, reaching a hand up to slip behind Severus's head and bring his mouth to hers.

"I've never been called 'beautiful' before, Hermione," Severus breathed against her lips, about to lose himself in her kiss.

"More's the pity," Hermione whispered as she kissed him tenderly yet passionately.

The two remained in a tongue lock for a few minutes, different from all the kisses that had come before. They nipped carefully, but each was so intent on healing the other's unseen wounds that didn't matter. When they parted, Severus put his hand over Hermione's eyes for a moment, and when he removed his hand, she could see how he really looked.

Hermione gasped; he was more handsome than she had figured on. She smiled and hugged him, which he hadn't expected.

"I would feel the same way even if you looked older than your years, Severus," Hermione breathed. She let him go and opened the door that had somehow gotten closed. The rain was still falling, but it felt like a quiet benediction for what they would be doing.

"Shall I apparate us to Diagon Alley?" Severus asked, giving Hermione his hand.

Nodding, Hermione took his hand and smiled.

Hermione did her shopping quickly after they stopped at Gringott's so she could take out some of the money her parents had exchanged and left for her use. The Order had taken them into protective custody, but before they had gone away, they had exchanged most of their wealth for wizarding currency, telling Hermione that she would have the best use of it. Hermione had heard the unspoken addition that her parents weren't expecting to survive the war or have to support her once the war was over. Hermione was more than prepared to exchange the wizarding currency back to muggle coinage for her parents once the war was over.

Hermione had gone into many witches clothing boutiques, trying to find suitable robes for her upcoming year as Head Girl. She finally settled on robes in different materials in varying shades of crimson and gold. Severus had nodded his agreement as she tried the robes on and asked his opinion, but he was getting antsy as women her age and his were stopping to check him out.

Hermione had finally gotten back into the robes Severus had conjured for her and was leaving the dressing rooms when she caught sight of a blonde beauty trying her damnedest to rub certain parts of her own anatomy against Severus's. Hermione squared her shoulders and pushed her robes off her shoulders, baring a creamy expansion of bosom as she sashayed over to her lover.

The blonde was beautiful in a skinny, skanky kind of way, but she couldn't compare to Hermione's Earth Mother fullness and ripeness, by Severus's reckoning. The blonde looked limp and underfed in comparison to Hermione's shining auburn waves and lush curves. Severus hadn't even bothered to get the blonde's name, and as Hermione approached him he moved from the waif to the goddess before him.

"I should be hit on more often, if this is my reward for resisting," Severus said, bending down to put his mouth over hers. Hermione nipped him and glared at him.

"You should have rebuffed her," Hermione sniffed as she led him out of the clothing shop and into the streets of Diagon Alley.

"Hermione, had I rebuffed her, she would have become more interested and tried something there, followed us and tried something else, or tried to get you out of the way. I remember her she was at Hogwart's before you, and a Slytherin, to boot. I wouldn't put anything past her," Severus said, wrapping his hand around Hermione's upper arm, squeezing slightly.

"But she was a student" Hermione began, then blushed as Severus gave her the 'look'.

"So were you, and look what protection from my lusts that afforded _you_," Severus whispered in her ear, lingering and breathing softly over that sensitive spot between ear and hairline. Hermione shivered and her eyes darkened.

"My gods, right in the middle of the street? Haven't you any sense of discretion, Da? Or shall I get my room clean for when you bring my new mummy home?" a voice sneered behind them.

Hermione stiffened at the voice behind them. She looked at Severus before she turned around.

"The woman you loved you got her pregnant? And the result was" Hermione said, closing her eyes in exasperation. "Don't tell me."

"Are you my new Mummy?" Draco said in a half-sneer, half-smiling at Hermione as she regarded him with something not quite approaching distain but certainly not affection. "He didn't tell you, did he?"

"The woman who lured you into everything was Narcissa Malfoy?" Hermione groaned, her gaze divided between the two men. "Do me a favor and stand next to one another."

Draco moved next to Severus, and even with the difference in some of their colorings, the resemblance was unmistakable: they were father and son. Draco's skin had the same translucent quality as Severus's and his eyes were taking on the same green-black of his father's; each had the same slim yet muscular build but suddenly Hermione was weirded out: they looked too much alike for her comfort, given her relations with the father and antagonism towards the son. She gagged at little at the thought that had things been different, she might have dated Draco.

Hermione coughed and Severus reached out to steady her.

"Are you alright, Hermione?" he asked, his eyes searching her face.

Draco was at her other side, reaching for her to pat her back and calm her when Severus hissed at him.

"Get back from her," Severus continued to hiss, and Draco hissed right back.

"I'm not going to steal her, Da; I don't want your mudblood 'sloppy seconds'," Draco hissed.

CRACK!

"You will not use language like that anymore! You are no more full-blooded than I am or Potter or Tonks, and I refuse to have you speak like that," Severus growled. He grabbed both of the teenagers and dragged them into a tavern, away from the seeking eyes of the gathering crowd.

Severus seated them both at a table and went in search of drink. Hermione glared at Draco, who just rolled his eyes.

"I'm not deferring to you, Granger, just because you're sleeping with him. You can help us, but then you're going back to Weaselby, and my mother will be with him, not you. No offense, of course," Draco smirked. He leaned back in his chair and waited for her to explode.

"How'd you know it was us?" Hermione asked, changing the subject.

"How can you even ask that? Switch the Snape nose for the Black nose and the Black hair for the Snape hair and you have me. It always was disconcerting whenever I saw him, but my mother only broke it to him recently," Draco said, distracted by Hermione's lack of anger.

"Well, if she means no harm and she is back for your father, I leave her to it. Once we're back at school, that is," Hermione said quietly. "Best that someone has his or her family than none."

Draco sat forward in his seat. "What do you mean? Weaselby's parents are fine, if overly fertile and yours are muggles; its Potter you should worry about."

"My parents are in hiding. Their practice was destroyed by Deatheaters because of the prophecies; they thought they could kill me or scare me into leaving Ron and Harry. Unfortunately for them, I was with Ron and Harry at that time. Tonks and Lupin took my parents, who now have a secret-keeper and not even I know where they are," Hermione said quietly.

"Hermione," Draco said, realization dawning on his face.

"Drink up, we have to get your damn books," Severus growled, dragging a chair next to Hermione's and throwing his arm around her possessively. Draco sighed and gulped down his butterbeer while Hermione sipped hers daintily.

After they finished their drinks, Hermione excused herself for a moment. Severus and Draco regarded each other silently for a moment before Severus spoke.

"Why would you announce something like that now?" Severus asked quietly.

"She needs to know that she can't keep this up, Da. The final battle is upon us, and when you return to your position at Hogwart's, it will end. You'll be separated, she'll go back to Weaselby, and you'll go back to Mum," Draco said matter-of-factly.

"You should know better than that by now. Your mother was a girl and young woman to be cherished, but she was always too weak. I begged Dumbledore to offer her the same protection, but she had already fallen to the Dark Lord. She lied and killed in her husband's name and that of his master. I won't forgive her, Draco, and I doubt that she'll survive the war," Severus said severely, trying to save his son from the worst of it all; he had been doing that all Draco's life, even before he knew the boy before him was his own son.

"Whatever happens between you and Mum won't change the fact that Hermione is Weaselby's. She'll go back to him because it will be the _right thing to do_. You underestimate her capacity to suffer nobly," Draco said, standing. "I believe the lady is ready to go. We have many things to do today, Da, and we must needs do them quickly."


End file.
